Indicating lock



Feb. 13, 11923.

A. LIEBMANN INDICATING LOCK Filed July 29 INVENTOR.

,QTToRNE Y3,

y m M Patented Feb. i3, 1%23.

trill S lly-W eld ALFRED LIEBMANN, OF NEVJ YORK, N. '55., ASSIGNOR TO AUTO KONTROL LOCK CORPO- RATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INDICATING LOCK.

Application filed July 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED LIEBMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county oi New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicating Locks, of which. the "following is a full, clear, and exact description.

It is very desirable, in some instances, that a person be able to tell at a glance whether or not a lock is in locked or unlocked condition, and particularly so with respect to vehicle locks wherein the operator wishes without trial to know the condition of the lock in order to avoid the annoyance or danger of starting the vehicle while it is still locked.

An object of the invention is to provide a lock which will indicate its condition with respect to the parts controlled thereby, and which is exceedingly simple, reliable, eitective, durable and inexpensive, and to provide means by which existing locks can be readily and inexpensively converted into indicating locks, and which is particularly adaptable to locks of the so called pin and cylinder type. V

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the novel features'oif theinvention will be particularly pointed out in claims.

In the drawing, a

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a cylinder lock constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of. the same.

Fig. 3 is a "section taken substantiallyv barrel 2contains a'key hole-.43 into which a suitable key (not shownfmay be inserted to rotate the barrel, the latter rotatably mounting a cam 5 upon itsend projecting rearwardly from theicasing and carrying a disc 6 which engages with a pair of pins 7 (only onebeing shown) upon the" cam and operates the cambetweenits operative posi- 1921. Serial No. 488,357.

tions. The cam has an arcuate groove or cut away portion 8 of approximately 180 extent, into which projects a pin 9 that is carried upon the rear wall of the casing and which limits the movement of the cam to a half revolution. The disc 6 by playing between the pins? provides, in elfect,-a lost motion connection whereby a full rotation of the barrel will cause a half rotationot the cam. The cam 5, in its movements about the barrel is adapted to operate other parts which look or unlock the parts to be con trolled by the device. the details of the control being immaterial to the present invention and therefore omitted in the interest of brevity.

I in. indicator 10, preferably in thei orm of a disc, is provided with an eccentric aperture 11 which receives the forwardly projecting end of the barrel 2 so as to be rotatably mounted thereon. A second disc 121's secured by screws 13 to the forward end of the barrel so as to slightlyoverhang the indicator disc 10, and prevent its displacement from the end of the barrel. The disc 12 is providcdwith countersunk holes let for the passage of the screws 13 and with an elongated aperture 15 to pel'init of the insertion of the key (not shown) into the keyhole. The disc 10 is provided with an arcuate slot 16 concentric with aperture 1.1 and extending approximately 180 about the aperture.

A pin 17 which is carried by the forward face 3 of the casing projects into the slot .16 to limit the rotation of the disc 1.0 to approximately a hall'- revolution. 1*, pin 18 which is carried by the disc 12 projects rearwardly therefrom into the slot 16 tooperate the disc 10 between'the two limits of movement permitted by the pin 17. The

pins 17 and 18 areulisposed adjacent oppositccurved Walls of the slot 16 and the sum o'ltheirdiameters is loss than the width of the slot. so to be able to pass one another in the slot with small clearance. The periphery oi the disc 10 is preferably beveledas at 19 to provide asurtace upon which suitable symbols or lettering 20 may be placed to indicate the meaning of the positionot the disc.

In use, the casing 1 is inserted into and suitably secured to one of the elements to be locked, or to a support. with the cam 5 in position to control the desired parts. When the cam 5 is in the position illustrated in degrees, with a line joining the center of the disc 10 when in its two extreme positions in order to have the disc 10 overhang the casing wall 3 lengthwise of the post in its two indicating positions. When it is desired to unlock the controlled parts, a key is insert-ed through aperture 15 into the slot L and rotated a full revolution which causes a fullrevolution of the barrel 2. The barrel I in so moving carries the cam 5 to a position 180 distant to unlock the controlled parts. The barrel also carries with it the attached disc 12, and the pin 18 upon this disc moves idly in the slot 16 until it reaches the opposite end thereof, which will be after a half revolution has been made, whereupon the engagement of the pin 18 with the end of the slot will cause the disc 10 to be rotated with the barrel through the remaining half revolution, and into the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 which represents the unlocked indicating position. In this position the pin 17 will engage the end 16 of the slot 16 and limit further move ment in the same direction and the pin 18 by its engagement with the opposite end 16 of the slot will prevent areturn movement. T he barrel is preferably locked in the indicated position whenever the key is removed by tumblers or pins, (not shown), in a manner well known in the art and illustrated by way of example in U. S. Patent 608,069 to which reference-may be had for further details. The disc 10 will therefore be positively held in its lower indicating position.

If it is desired to lock the controlled parts,

. the key is inserted into the slot 4: as before and given a complete reverse rotation. The disc 12 will be carried with the barrel and after moving through a half revolution the pin 18 will again engage the end 16' of the slot 16 and during the remaining half revolution will carry the disc 10 with it to the full line position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this'position the pin 18 will prevent a I return movement of the disc 10, and the pin 17 by its engagement with the end 16 of the slot 16 will limit further forward movement i the details and arrangements of parts of theembodiment herein described and illustrated,

' may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In an indicating lock comprising a key operated barrel, an indicator mounted adjacent the barrel for movement between two positions in each of which it indicates a condition of the lock, and a connection between the indicator and the barrel whereby as the barrel is rotated to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator will be shifted to indicate the condition of the lock.

2. An indicating lock comprising a key operated barrel, an indicator mounted adjacent the barrel for movement etween two positions in each of which it indicates a con dition of the lock, and a lost motion connection between the barrel and the indicator whereby as the barrel approaches the limit of its rotation to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator will be shifted to and held in a position indicating the condition of the lock.

3. An indicating lock comprising a cylin der lock having a rotatable barrel, an indicator, means carried by the barrel for securing the indicator thereto for oscillation thereabout between two positions in each of which it indicates a condition of the lock, and a connection between the indicator and means whereby as the barrel is rotated to .lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator will be shifted to indicate the condition of the lock.

4. An indicating lock comprisinga cylinder lock having a rotatable barrel, an indicator, means carried by the barrel for securing the indicator thereto for oscillation thereabout'" between two positions in each of which it indicates a condition of the lock, said means and indicator having a lost motion connection whereby as the barrel ap proaches the limit of its rotation to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator will be shifted to and held in a position indicating-the condition of the lock.

5. An indicating lock comprising a cylinder lock having a rotatable barrel, an inclicator, means carried by the barrel for securing the indicator thereto for oscillation thereabout, means for limiting the movement of the indicator between two positions in each of which it indicates a condition of the lock, said securing means and indicator having a lost motion connection whereby as the barrel approaches the limit of its rotation to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator will be shifted to and held in a. position indicating the condition of the lock, r

6. An indicatingv lock comprising a lock having a rotatable barrel, an indicator disc, a second disc carried by the barrel for securing the indicator disc thereto for oscillation thereabout, means for limiting themovement of the indicator disc between two positions in each of which it indicates a condition of the lock, said discs having a pin and slot connection whereby as the barrel approaches the limit of its rotation to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator disc will be shifted to and held in a position indicating the condition of the lock.

7. An indicating lock comprising a lock having a casing and a barrel rotatable there in, an indicator disc, a second disc carried by the barrel for securing the indicator disc thereto for oscillation thereabout, said indicator disc having therein a slot concentric with the axis of rotation of the disc and extending approximately through 180 about said axis, a pin carried by said casing and extending into said slot for limiting oscillation of the disc to approximately 180, and a pin carried by the second disc and also extending into said slot to form therewith a pin and slot connection whereby as the barrel approaches the limit of its rota tion to lockor unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator disc will be shifted to and held in a position indicating the condition of the lock.

8. An indicating lock comprising a lock having a casing and a barrel rotatable therein, an indicator disc, a second disc carried by the barrel for securing the indicator disc thereto for oscillation thereabout,'said indicator disc having therein a slot concentric with the axis of rotation of the disc and extending approximately through 180 about said axis, a pin carried by said casing and extending into said slot for limiting oscillation of the disc to approximately 180, and a pin carried by the second disc and also ex tending into said slot to form therewith a pin and slot connection whereby as the barrel approaches the limit of its rotation to lock or unlock the parts controlled thereby the indicator disc will be shifted to and held in a position indicating the condition of the lock, said pins having diameters which are sufficiently small to permit them to pass in said slot and being disposed to permit them to pass.

9. An indicating lock comprising a support and a member adapted to be rotated therein between two positions, an indicator mounted adjacent the member for movement between two indicating positions, and a positive lost motion connection between the member and indicator for causing a movement of the indicator to indicate the condition of the lock with respect to the parts controlled thereby whenever the member is shifted.

10. An indicating lock comprising two relatively moving members adapted by their relative movement to lock or unlock parts controlled thereby, an indicator mounted for movement between two indicating positions, a pin and slot connection between the indicator and the movable one of said members for causing a movement of the indicator from one to the other of its indicating positions whenever a change in the condition of the lock occurs and means for limiting the movement of the indicator in each direction.

11. An indicating lock comprising two relatively moving members adapted by their relative movement to lock or unlock parts controlled thereby, an indicator mounted for movement between two indicating positions, means for limiting movement of the indicator to said two positions and a lost motion connection between the indicator and the movable one of said members for causing a movement of the indicator to change its indication when the condition of the lock is changed.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

ALFRED LIEBMANN. 

